My teams could use some 'wa'

We aren’t even 10 games into the season and already life in the baseball world is starting to look pretty familiar for my favorite teams.

The Padres are last (snore!) in the Natonal League West, the Red Sox are first in the American League East (wait till August), and the Yokohama BayStars are sinking faster than a concrete block lobbed into Tokyo Bay. They’re only a half-game ahead of the Chinuchi Dragons for their customary seat in the Central League cellar.

Ah, the BayStars. They introduced me to Japanese baseball and I’ve been hooked on it, and them, ever since. There’s something about riding to the game on a train crowded with baseball fans and sitting in a cozy stadium where vendors wander about selling yakitori, yakisoba and straight whiskey.

With so many Japanese and Asian stars playing in the major leagues, I’m sure the sport has changed a little in that country. Please don’t tell my Japanese friends I said this but the caliber of play over there may not be quite as high as it is now in the majors. How could it be with all their stars coming over here to soak up American cash?

But that doesn’t mean Japanese baseball isn’t exciting. In my three years there, I was absorbed by it. The crowds at Japanese ball games are similar to what you’d see and hear at a college football game in the states. They are loud, loyal and a lot of fun.

For anyone interested in learning more about their game, I recommend Robert Whiting’s book “You Gotta Have Wa.” It’s been out for many years, but still is available on Amazon. It’s a fascinating look at American players trying to adapt to the Japanese game.

“Wa” is the Japanese concept of achieving perfect harmony in anything you do. In Japanese baseball, the Tokyo (aka Yomiuri) Giants have had it for years. The BayStars have not.

Baseball in Japan starts in early March with a televised national high school tournament far more popular than the NCAA basketball tournament in this country. I got my first look at Daisuke Matsuzaka during that tournament. There was quite a stir when he signed with the Seibu Lions. For the last few years, though, he’s pitched for the Red Sox and fought off injuries.

The pro season starts a few weeks after the high school tournament and is about the same length as the American baseball season. But there are some distinct differences.

For one, games over there may end in a tie if the score is still deadlocked after 12 innings. The fans even prefer it that way. Supposedly everyone goes home happy.

Another difference is that after a home run, the batter is showered with flower bouquets as he touches home plate. I once saw Hideki Matsui, who later starred for the Yankees and played a year for the Angels, stand flat-footed and yank a ball out of Tokyo Stadium. As he rounded third base you would have thought he was going to a funeral.

Another oddity was the umpires. If they made a bad call they apologized, and often suspended themselves.

I liked the BayStars because their spring training camp was just a few blocks and a very steep hill from our apartment building. I felt so sorry for them because they had to run that incline every day.

Behind gaijin (foreigner) second baseman Bobby Rose, they won the Japan Series the year before I arrived in Japan. Of course, they were awful every year after that. But, no matter, the game and fans were entertaining enough to keep me coming back.

I understand there have been a few promotional changes, though. The New York Times reported last year that one of their gimmicks was to grant free admission to any man dressed in drag. Some teams also were giving refunds to certain fans if their teams did not perform well.

Ah, the Japanese, it’s all about satisfaction and a good presentation. And a little wa helps, too.

The Padres could definitely use it. So could the Red Sox, starting about Aug. 1. As for the BayStars, well, I’ll just keep hopin’.

If you know of someone who would be interesting to feature in a column, call Jim Rothgeb at (951) 676-4315, ext. 2621, or email jim.rothgeb@californian.com.